American Rhetoric: Movie Speech

"Michael Collins" (1996)

Michael Collins Preaches National Sovereignty

Collins: The fact that the candidate you're being asked to vote for is at this moment rotting in an English jail shouldn't put you off! Sure wasn't I in one myself 'til a week ago.

They can jail us. They can shoot us. They can even conscript us.

They can use us as cannon fodder in the Somme.

But -- But we have a weapon more powerful than any in the whole arsenal of their British Empire -- and that weapon is our refusal, our refusal to bow to any order but our own, any institution but our own.

Our friends in the Royal Irish Constabulary would like to shut me up.

Oh yes, jail me again, shoot me, who knows? And I'd like you to send them a message. If they shut me up, who'll take my place?

[Crowd: I will!]

Who's going to take my place?

[Crowd: I will!]

I can't hear you. Who'll take my place?! Will they shut you up?!!

Still image of Michael Collins